Art in Asia: The ICE-Penang Program 

by: Amidala Mallari, Thames International Undergraduate Student

The world will always be volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. This was a hard truth that people around the globe faced when the pandemic hit. For Thames International, one of the ways to remain steadfast despite the unpredictability is by making practical education in various fields accessible to stakeholders. Making this vision a reality is among the hopes of Thames for the future, and the reason that birthed its Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship-Penang Art District Program.

Thames International’s Innovation and Creative Entrepreneurship program, also known as ICE,  was first established in the Philippines in 2018. It uses cutting edge pedagogy to address a broad range of creative business needs while considering the realities of the world today. In January 2021, Thames International started the ICE-Penang Program in collaboration with Penang Art District, Malaysia’s home for emerging artists, to extend this new take on learning to creatives in Asia and help them thrive in the new normal.

One of the many features of the ICE-Penang Program, which is facilitated by ICE Program Director Gian Carlo De Jesus, Thames International Managing Director TJ Parpan, and ICE Program Manager Kat Mallillin, is its tailored-fit design that allows graphic designers, performing artists, directors, and more, to immediately implement learnings into their existing businesses and creative projects.

The program maximizes blended methodologies such as phenomenon-based and flipped classroom approaches, design thinking, and game-based simulations to encourage collaboration among participants. Industry practitioners from a participant’s locality are invited to serve as coaches who can provide relevant mentorship due to their familiarity with the creative pursuit. All this is done while instilling the values of collaboration, resilience, and community, which are all needed to sustain a successful creative economy. 

As the ICE-Penang’s first batch came to a close in March, Stephanie Kee, one of Penang Art District’s Project Executives, expressed her delight at how the program concluded. Participants were given the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to guest panelists Rhea Matute, Executive Director of the Design Centre of the Philippines, and Colin Goh, Executive Director of Millet Holdings Singapore, who in the end supported one of the presenters, Little Door Festival, in securing a deal from a target sponsor. Stephanie shared her appreciation for Thames’ localized take on the creative industry, as it led to a wonderful journey for passionate and creative individuals strengthening their skills and knowledge in the field. 

The program garnered positive feedback from participants. Rupa Subramaniam from Storyteller Studios said “The relationship between the students and mentors felt as if we were equals. The tools provided to us still allowed us to personalize them to our unique business needs. We all got stronger confidence in voicing our ideas, voicing our products, and presenting them with strong data.” Another student, Koe Gaik Cheng from Little Door Festival added: “The ICE Program helped us to identify all the dots and connect them. The pledge of support we received today is just a bonus from the learnings we received.“

With the success of ICE-Penang Program, Thames International is looking into starting another ASEAN cohort by the end of May this year. For any inquiries, contact ICE Program Manager Kat Mallillin via kmallillin@thames.edu.ph or visit Thames ICE Program for more information. Along with Thames, let us altogether use the impact of practical education in various fields for thriving, pivoting, and navigating the uncertainties of the world we live in.